Stacking and unstacking device.



M. F. GROSS & D. RICHARME.

STACKING AND UNSTACKlNG DEVICEr APPLlCATlON min 1ULY14. 19H.

1,26%,1 9Q. Patented Mar. 19, 1918;

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M. F. GROSS & D. RICHARME. STACKING AND UNSTACKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED IuIY I4, 19H.

1,99%,1 9m Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

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, IN l/E/V TORS l jgvi fsgif zg 676 I M A TTOR/VEYS WITNESSES 33 MICHAEL FLORENCE GROSS AND DAVIS RICHARME, OF GRAMERCY, LOUISIANA.

STACKIN G AND UNSTACKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Application filed J uly 14, 1917. Serial No. 180,577.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL F. Gross and DAVIS RICHARME, citizens of the United States, and residents of Gramercy, in the parish of Saint James and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and Improved Stacking and Unstacking Device. of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to devices for stacking and unstacking packages of different kinds and has for an object the provision of an improved construction which may be easily and quickly operated for raising or lowering packages of difierent kinds so as to stack the same to any desired height and lower the same to a desired level.

Another object in view is the provision of means which may be easily moved from place to place so as to readily stack barrels and other articles in warehouses to the full height of any floor space.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a stacking and unstacking device provided with a pivotally mounted framework movable to a horizontal plane in order that the device may be shifted or moved from place to place and passed beneath comparatively low arches or other parts of a building.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a device which will automatically discharge the packages either when stacking or unstacking,

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 4 on line 33.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view through Fig. 2 approximately on line 44.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a journal member embodying certain features of the invention,

Referring to the accompanying drawings by, numerals, 1 indicates a base which may be made from channel iron or any suitably shaped iron or, in fact, any desired material without departing from the spirit of the invention. The base 1 is supported by a plurality of casters 2 whereby the device may be moved easily from place to place. The base 1 at the front is provided with extensions 3 and 4, extension 3 accommodating the brace 5 while the extension 4 accommodates' brace 6 and also lifting mechanism 7 which may be of any desired kind, as for instance, a drum 8 operated by an electric motor or a motor of any suitable structure.

Arranged on the base 1 are side frames 9 and 10 constructed as shown particularly in Fig. 1, namely, with suitable uprights and transverse bracing bars preferably built up of angle irons. The back or rear edge of the side frames 9 and 10 are connected by suitable bracing sections 11 and 12, said bracing sections not extending to the bottom, whereby a package may be moved into the device on one side and discharged out the opposite side. The open side is used as the discharge side as it has no braces connecting the side members 9 and 10, but the side members are braced by the bracing members 5 and 6. At the top of the bracing members 5 and 6, connected therewith and with the side members 9 and 10, are journal boxes 13 and 14 accommodating suitable shafts l5 and 16. Shaft 16 preferably carries a sprocket wheel 17 accommodating the chain 18, said chain passing over a sprocket wheel 19 mounted on shaft 20, which shaft is rotated by a suitable train of gearing operated by the crank 21 whereby the shaft 16 may be rotated and the car guiding frame 22 tilted thereby, as shown in dotted lines, when it is desired to move the device beneath a low arch or other object.

The pivotal members 15 and 16 are preferably arranged at a point which will substantially evenly balance the frame 22 and thereby will require but little power when moving the frame from one position to the other. This frame consists of a transverse upper bar 23 carrying the pulleys 24 and 25, and a pair of depending leads 26 and 27. The frame also carries rods 28 and 29 registering with the rods 28 and 29' on the permanent leads 30 and 31. The rods 28 and 28 and the rods 29 and 29 may be connected together in any manner, as for instance, by suitable interlocking projection and notch. These rods are designed to carry trippers 32 and 33, more clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 4. These trippers are provided with inclined sections or cams 34 and 35 and sections 36 surrounding the respective rods on which they are mounted so that the various set screws 37 may clamp the trippers in any desired position. By loosening the set screws 37 the trippers may be moved or slid up and down the respective rods to any desired height and then fastened to that height so as to cause a discharge of the package from the car 38. The car 38 s raised by a cable 38 passing over the pulevs 2 a d 2. a d act ated. by he drum said cable moving the car upwardly while the leads 26 and 27 guide the car in its upward and downward movements. 7

As shown in Fig. 4, the car 38 is provided with a base or platform 39 to which the angle bars 40 and 41 are secured, said angle bars extending between the angle bars of the leads 26 and 27 so as to be guided thereby. The angle bars 40 and 41 are connected by a transverse bar 42, as shown in Fig. 2, to which the cable 38 is secured. The base or platform 39 carries a bracket 43 on each side in which the stub shafts 44 extend, as shown in detail in Fig. 5, said shafts being riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to transverse bars 45, said bars in turn being secured to skids or runners 46 and 47. By this construction and arrangement the skids are balanced for pivotal mounting centrally so as to operate at the angle shown in Fig. 3 or at the opposite angle.

When stacking packages, as for instance, barrels, the skids are tilted toward the stack, and when unstacking the skids are tilted in the opposite direction, so that when the car 38 stops on its upward or clownward travel the packages thereon will be automatically caused to move by gravitv out of the device. In order that the packages may be held properly in position on the inclined skids and then automatically released at the proper time, the tripper 32 is provided with a mechanism shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4 arranged on the car 38 and coac'ting with the tripper or trippers arranged on the rods 28 and 29.

The car 38 is provided with two casings 48 provided with turned up ends which accommodate the bolts 49 and 50, bolt 49 extending through a bracket 51 while it is sliding-1y fitted in the turnedout ends of the casing 48. Bracket 51 is also connected with the bolt 50 and carries a wheel 52 preferably grooved so as to straddle the tripper 32. \Vhen the parts move upwardly to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 the wheel 32 will strike the cam surface 34 and will move in a horizontal direction, said movement being guided by the rods 49 and 50, rod 50 moving against the action of spring 53, which spring bears against the stop 54 and the casing 48. Rod 50 is also pivotally connected at 55 to link 56, said link in turn being connected pivotally at 57 to arm 58. Arm 58 is rigidly secured to shaft 59, which shaft carries stops 60 and 61 preferably positioned between the skids 46 and 47. By this construction and arrangement, when the wheel 52 and associated parts are moved to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3 the shaft 59 will be rocked and stops 60 and 61 will be moved downwardly out of the way of the barrels or other articles on the skids 46 and 47, whereupon said articles may move by gravity off the skids or may be forced off manually. On the. opposite side of the car to the bracket 51, Wheel 52 and associated parts, are arranged identical members which are connected with the rock shaft 62, said rock shaftoperating the stops 63 and 64 in the same manner to the way the stops 60 and 61 are operated. The steps 60 and 61 are used for preventing the accidental removal of barrels or other articles when stacking, while the stops 63 and 64 are used for preventing the accidental removal of articles from the skids when unstacking.

The tripper 32, which is arranged near the base 1, is usually maintained in one posi tion, while the tripper 32, for causing the discharge of the articles when stacking, is freely moved up and down according to tlie level at which the discharging takes p ace. 7 Q

In operation, when the device is arranged as shown in Fig. 2 it may be moved to any desired place and the barrels or other objects rolled on to the skids from the back and then the drum 8 operated until the barrels or other articles have been raised to the desired height. Previous to the operation of drum 8 the tripper 32 is moved to the del suflicient the frame 22 may be moved pi-votally, as shown in dotted lines in Fig, 1.

Before this takes place the bolts 65 which connect the leads to the box or stationary leads are removed and then the frame tilted. When it reaches its new position the frame 22 is moved back to its former position and the bolts replaced. It will be noted that the skids, by reason of their being inclined, will cause barrels or other round objects to roll off butthe device is not limited to the use of raising merely barrels but raising and stacking articles of any kind or shape.

What we claim'is:

1. In a stacking and unstacking device of the character described, a base, upright members mounted in said base, car guiding.

moving one of said stops to one side when the car has been elevated to the desired extent and a second tripping member for moving the other of said stops to one side when the car has been lowered to its starting point.

2. In an elevating or stacking and unstacking device of the character described, a platform provided with uprights, a car, a plurality of leads for said car acting as guides for the car in its up and down movement, a tiltable platform arranged on said car, a stop at each end of said platform forpreventing an article moving ofi' of the platform, means for moving said stops out of the way, and an adjustable tripper arranged to be adjusted longitudinally of said leads for operating the means for moving said stops whereby said stops may be moved out of the way at any height according to the position of the tripper.

3. In a stacking and unstacking device of the character described, a base, uprights arranged on said base, an elevator, leads for guiding said elevator in its up and down movement, a platform arranged on said elevator and positioned at an incline in either of two directions, stops for preventing articles from sliding off said platform, and a pair of trippers associated with said leads and designed to move said stops out of the way, one of said trippers operating when the device is acting as a stacking device and the other tripper operating when the device is acting as an unstacking device.

4. In a stacking and unstacking device of the character described, a base, uprights arranged on said base, leads supported by said uprights, an elevator car adapted to move up and down guided by said leads, skids arranged on said car, a stop arranged adjacent each end of said skids, said skids being pivotally mounted so as to normally assume an angle to the horizontal, shifting mechanism for said stops, and a tripper arranged adjacent said leads for actuating said shifting mechanism.

MICHAEL FLORENCE GROSS. DAVIS RICHARME.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

